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Computer programming, designing a part etc can easily be done via the internet, so can designing mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems for buildings.

I am down on an island where the cost of living and the cost of doing business is easily double that of Miami. My main competition is 'outsourced' work, done by South Florida Engineering companies WHO are always cheaper than I am. Some architects virtually use these firms exclusively.

But it is difficult to do things from far away, it is almost like trying to solve a HO's heating system problem by what they describe to you over the internet. If a job is really challenging such as a major rennovation or addition to a commercial building, I will pick up the normally outsourced work as it gets too expensive for them to start flying in people multiple times and putting them up in hotels.

I do not make my living picking up the tough crumbs that cannot be outsourced. I have my own customer base as well.

There are a lot of jobs out there that cannot be outsourced and there is a shortage of engineers. You need to get your time in and follow through and get your PE or PEng designation. Use the Dilbert jobs to get your time in. Also remember that when you get your degree, it just gets your foot in the door. 95% of what you need to know will be learned through experience.

Hands on experience and the degree can make you quite valuable. Working the trade can also give you more satisfaction and more pay if you are good. Myself, I got tired of threading gas pipe outside when it was -30C.

Contractors will argue with engineers when there are a problem on the job. I don't see them flying in some one from Punjab or Karachi every time a duct conflicts with a beam.

The way we build has a greater impact on our comfort, energy consumption and IAQ than any HVAC system we install.

Outsource

No, but the local project manager will note the changes and email them to the Draftsman for revision. The "shortage" of engineers has been met via outsourcing. There is no longer a shortage.
The PATs are getting creamed!

i've read most of these posts and they all make good points. it all depends on what you are looking for. one thing i would like to recommend is try posting this question in an engineering forum as well. this forum is very technician bias, especially the residential section. a lot of the people on here try to make engineers look like dilberts that sit behind a desk all day. i'm sure there are jobs like that in the engineering industry, but working in the hvac industry as a consultant is not one of them. check out http://www.eng-tips.com, they have an hvac engineering section over there, also some sections that deal specifically with career oriented questions rather than technical questions.

Re: Outsource

Originally posted by hockey No, but the local project manager will note the changes and email them to the Draftsman for revision. The "shortage" of engineers has been met via outsourcing. There is no longer a shortage.
The PATs are getting creamed!

The project manager must be an engineer then.

The way we build has a greater impact on our comfort, energy consumption and IAQ than any HVAC system we install.

PE

Just like in manufacturing where engineers have been replaced with outsourced talent (proficient in software tools), there may only be one engineer involved in a project now, where there used to be an entire building. The engineering trade began to shrink when the slide rule was replaced with the calculator. This is another example where proficency in a trade is more valuable than a degree. Of course, having both should be even more valuable.
I had a government-contract job where I rounded up and shipped papers, drawings, parts, etc to India and then spoke to them every morning (it was 11 PM there). I was told that for every USA engineer this defense contractor could hire 12 from India.

HVAC Work

Yes, That's correct. Like I said, manufacturing. A degree opens the door to many fields. I don't see alot of HVAC engineering jobs on Monster.com or elsewhere. In fact, I am rubbing elbows with unemployed/laid off HVAC engineers.